Anchor Baby (film)

Anchor Baby
Theatrical poster
Directed byLonzo Nzekwe
Written byLonzo Nzekwe
Produced by
  • Lonzo Nzekwe
  • Jeremy Hood
Starring
CinematographyRicardo Diaz
C.S.C.
Edited by
  • Matthew Johnson
  • Lonzo Nzekwe
Music bySean Baillie
Production
company
Alpha Galore Films
Distributed byAlpha Galore Inc.
Release dates
  • 10 December 2010 (2010-12-10) (Nigeria)
  • 27 January 2011 (2011-01-27) (US)
Running time
95 minutes
CountriesNigeria
Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget₦30 million[1]
Box office₦18,000,000 (domestic gross)[2]

Anchor Baby is a Nigerian thriller drama film written, directed and produced by Lonzo Nzekwe and starring Omoni Oboli, Sam Sarpong and Terri Oliver. At the 2010 Harlem International Film Festival in New York, the film won the award for Best Film and Omoni Oboli, the protagonist of the film, was awarded the Best Actress award.[3][4] The film received two nominations at the 7th Africa Movie Academy Awards.[5][6][7][8]

Plot

A married Nigerian couple, Joyce and Paul Unanga, living illegally in the United States, has been ordered to leave the country by U.S. immigration. They decide that they will leave, but only after Joyce, who is five months pregnant, delivers her baby in the United States to guarantee automatic U.S. citizenship for their child. Thus, ignoring the deportation order, the couple goes into hiding. When Paul is caught and deported, leaving Joyce to fend for herself, she struggles on her own to survive. Bureaucracy keeps getting in the way of Joyce achieving her goal and just as she is about to give up hope, she meets Susan, a married freelance writer who offers to help in the form of safe, free accommodation until the baby is born. With the help of her newfound friend, Joyce sets out to make the 'American Dream' come true for her unborn child.[9][10]

Cast

  • Omoni Oboli - Joyce Unanga
  • Sam Sarpong - Paul Unanga
  • Terri Oliver - Susan Backley
  • Santiago Lopera - Joey
  • Mark Cassius - Attorney John
  • Steve Rankine - Landlord
  • Colin Paradine - Tim
  • Rachael Ancheril - ICE Agent Labinsky
  • Carl Bauer - Immigration Escort
  • Cyrus Faird - Rosario

See also

References

  1. ^ "Movie producers beg banks for cash as Nollywood goes global". Lagos, Nigeria: Business Day. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  2. ^ Olatunji, Samuel (9 December 2012). "Nigeria's five bankable actresses". NigeriaFilms.com. Lagos, Nigeria: NigeriaFilms.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Hi5 2010 FILM AWARDS". Ney York, USA. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  4. ^ "Can Anchor Baby do better than Ije and Figurine?". Sunday Tribune. Ibadan, Nigeria. 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  5. ^ "AMAA Nominations 2011". Africa Movie Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  6. ^ Balogun, Adeola (10 December 2010). "I got Omoni Oboli out of the blue for my first movie – Lonzo Nzekwe, Anchor Baby producer". The Punch. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  7. ^ Odulaja, Adedayo (31 December 2010). "Nollywood's prospect is bright –Lonzo Nzekwe". The Daily Independent. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Anchor Baby and the dark underbelly of the American Dream". Daily Trust. Abuja, Nigeria. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Anchor Baby". Pan-African Film Festival. Archived from the original on 15 February 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  10. ^ Idowu, Ayo (30 July 2010). "Pregnant star actress, Omoni Oboli, ordered out of US •Struggles to gain citizenship for her unborn child". Nigerian Tribune. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.